Virgin River has never shied away from emotional cliffhangers, but the latest twist involving Lizzie and Denny may be one of its most heartbreaking yet — and fans think they’ve already cracked the tragic trajectory.
As the curtain fell on Virgin River Season 5 Part 1, a jaw-dropping revelation landed like a thunderclap during the town’s Labor Day carnival. Lizzie (Sarah Dugdale), who had just started imagining a brighter future with her boyfriend Denny (Kai Bradbury), dropped a bombshell: “I think I’m pregnant.”
It was the kind of quiet, emotionally loaded moment the series is known for — and the kind of moment that sends the fandom into a frenzy. According to many fans online, the stage is being set for a painful storyline rooted in Denny’s incurable Huntington’s disease.
A Love Built on Borrowed Time
Lizzie and Denny’s romance has been a slow burn, blossoming in Season 4 after Lizzie’s rebellious LA energy settled into something softer and more grounded. But while the couple’s chemistry was palpable, Denny’s Huntington’s diagnosis cast a long shadow.
From the beginning, Denny has been reluctant to plan for a long-term future. He knows the odds — and the heartbreak — that come with his genetic condition. Still, in the mid-season finale, he opened up to Lizzie about something fans never expected: hope.
“I didn’t think I had a future,” Denny confessed. “But with you, I’m starting to see one.”
That future may now include a baby — and a whole new wave of emotional complexity.
Fan Theory: A Devastating Rift Ahead?
On Reddit and across social media, theories are circulating about what this pregnancy might mean. One prevailing prediction: Denny will want an abortion, fearing the possibility of passing on Huntington’s to the child. Lizzie, however, might want to keep the baby — igniting a rift that could tear them apart.
“Fully predict they will break up,” one fan speculated. “Lizzy will keep the baby, and writers will character-assassinate Denny as the dad-who-left.”
Others are even bracing for Denny’s death, whether by deteriorating health or an off-screen twist meant to preserve Lizzie’s arc as a single mom.
A Complicated Past
Fans know Lizzie’s path has never been easy. Introduced in Season 2 as Connie’s (Nicola Cavendish) rebellious niece, Lizzie stumbled her way through messy relationships — first with Dan Brady (Ben Hollingsworth), then with sweet Ricky (Grayson Gurnsey). But it wasn’t until Denny that viewers saw Lizzie grow.
Their love story was tinged with realism and restraint, a refreshing detour from Virgin River’s more traditional romances. But if the pregnancy storyline plays out as fans expect, it may become one of the show’s most tragic.
False Alarm — or Something More?
Of course, some fans are holding out hope that this is just a scare.
“It’s a long way from ‘I think I’m pregnant’ to confirming anything,” wrote one skeptical viewer. “Could be a total false alarm.”
Others believe the pregnancy may end in heartbreak for different reasons: miscarriage, a medical complication, or the choice to part ways regardless of what Lizzie decides.
A Future in Limbo
With Virgin River already greenlit for Season 6, there’s no shortage of space for the writers to explore this emotional minefield. Whether Denny and Lizzie’s journey ends in unity or separation, one thing’s certain: their story has become one of the most compelling — and unpredictable — in the series.
“I just want to see Lizzie happy,” one fan wrote. “She’s come so far. She deserves it.”
But on a show like Virgin River, happy endings are never guaranteed.
Do you think Lizzie and Denny’s baby news will lead to joy, tragedy, or something in between? Let us know your thoughts and predictions below.
